


One Day in the Rain

by AddisonNoxy



Series: Cloud Cover [2]
Category: Splatoon
Genre: M/M, Takoika, but everything turns out fine, it's a couple of ocs, it's slick and oliver, single inkling boy seeking dates, there is a lost child, you dont need to have read the first entry in the series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-14 13:15:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29171736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AddisonNoxy/pseuds/AddisonNoxy
Summary: On a rainy day some time ago, a chill Inkling dude was resting his eyes under the safety of a cloth tarp. When he opened them up, his gaze was caught on funny-looking tentacles and a strange black outfit. Very quickly, this other boy caught his interest.A oneshot companion fic for Stormy Dreams.
Relationships: Inkling(s)/Octoling(s) (Splatoon)
Series: Cloud Cover [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2141547
Comments: 3
Kudos: 11





	One Day in the Rain

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place some months before the beginning of Stormy Dreams, but still contains spoilers if you haven't read up to chapter 10 of the main fic.

Tucked away in a nondescript alleyway of Inkopolis, close enough to hear the hustle and bustle of the streetgoers and yet far enough to avoid the notice of the casual passersby, Slick lay across one of the cloth-bound sofas which decorated the many alley lounges that lay scattered throughout the city, gazing up at his phone as he scrolled through yet another blog. His arms were bare, as he’d placed his light jacket underneath him on the couch to prevent the slight dampness of the furniture from distracting him from his very important lazing around.

It was a rainy day, but the pleasant sort. The rain that fell from today’s skies was gentle and light, refreshing the skin, filling in the background of a daily commute with its tap-tapping on the city streets and the cloth awning which sheltered him. It cooled the air, and every breeze that it sent down the alley to the Inkling was very pleasurable.

Putting his phone down on his stomach, Slick closed his eyes and allowed the sound and smell of the rain to mingle with the distant, soothing chatter of Inkopolis. Not even heavy enough to dissuade the crowd - a social rain, for all that meant to an Inkling. The calmness of the downpour and the laughter of squids on the street as they splashed down the pavement brought a very real sense of peace to Slick as he lay there, dozing.

Though after some time - he didn’t know how long - a change came in the sounds of the crowd. His ears twitched as they picked up distant voices colored by confusion and dismay. One in particular seemed to draw closer, deep yet frantic, calling out over the others.

Curiosity piqued, Slick raised himself up onto his elbows, looking in the direction of the alley mouth where the citizens of Inkopolis came and went from his line of sight. The voice was drawing closer, it would surely pass his way soon.

What sort of person was sounding so distraught on a day like today, he wondered?

The answer came in the shape of a boy, tall and thin, with a number of sucker-shaped decorations lining the large tentacle which fell over the right side of his head. Slick felt his eyes widen at the sight of the boy’s attire; it was black, seemingly skin-tight, and rather revealing, exposing his arms up to the shoulder, his stomach, and his legs below the knee. Not clothing to be wearing out in the rain, for sure.

The boy looked disheveled, scuffs and dirt marking his bare skin, and held a busted up-looking umbrella with a canopy that seemed to be falling apart. As he turned, however, seemingly scanning the streets for someone or something, Slick also took notice of the small rose-colored Inkling child that he held in his other arm, too small to even fully take form.

It was a bit of a wild sight, and Slick felt like he could understand the hesitation of the squids on the street as they shied away from the boy’s searching eyes.

Even as he was making up his mind to duck further into the alley, though, the boy turned towards the alley, and his eyes locked with Slick’s. Pale complexion, sunken cheeks, bloodshot eyes. He seemed exhausted.

Slick didn’t move, too taken by surprise to think of doing so, and the strange boy seemed to take that as an invitation - he quickly entered the alleyway, stepping underneath the protection of the overhead awning and coming to a faltering halt only a few feet from Slick.

“Help me please?” the boy said quietly, his voice smooth and low despite the tension in every word.

An answer got caught on his lips. Slick glanced down at the Inkling child in the boy’s arms. The kid wasn’t saying anything, wasn’t crying - she just looked back and forth between Slick and the other boy with widened eyes.

“You’ll, uh… have to be more specific, dude.” Slick managed to say, slowly rising to his feet and collecting his jacket from the couch.

The boy in black wore a look of desperation as he shifted the young girl in his arms. “She is… lost.” he spoke falteringly. “Lost her mother. Trying to find her.”

Slick pursed his lips, looking again towards the little girl. He bent down, resting his hands on his knees as he looked her in the eyes. “Hey there.” he said quietly. A ripple of color passed through the girl’s ink body. “You all right?”

She nodded stiffly, pressing herself further against the tall boy. The sight brought a bit of relief to Slick’s hearts - at the very least, she seemed calm, and not too worried about the stranger that she was clinging to.

“You help?” the boy asked again.

The Inkling rubbed the back of his neck as he straightened back up, unable to find it in himself to say no at the pleading look that the scuffed-up boy was giving him. He looked more lost than the girl, honestly, and more wet, too - rainwater was dripping off of his ears and arms, rolling down his exposed stomach, but the girl looked almost dry. Slick eyed the busted-up umbrella, barely sporting half of its canopy.

Clearly, the child had been his priority. Slick had to respect that, no matter how weird this guy looked.

“Yeah, I’ll help.” he answered, and his hearts gave a little leap as an expression of relief broke out on the boy’s face. Flustered, he offered his jacket to the boy. “Here, put this on - I’ll take the girl for a second.”

The strange boy looked at him, confused. “I can’t take.” he said, shaking his head.

“Dude, you’re barely dressed. I can see you shivering.” Slick replied, pressing it against the boy’s shoulder as he gently put his arm around the Inkling girl. “It’s cold out, put the jacket on.”

“You will not be cold?”

“I’m not all wet.”

The boy gave a small, dissatisfied noise, but nevertheless relinquished the child to Slick and accepted the jacket. Slick wrapped the girl in his arms, feeling her grab onto his shirt, as the boy put his sleeves through the Inkling’s jacket.

It was kind of a tight fit on him - the jacket was just about the right size for Slick - but at least he was covered up better now.

“So talk to me.” Slick said, passing the girl back to him as they stepped out of the alley. “What happened?”

“I was… walking.” the boy answered, sounding almost reluctant. “Passed by store, saw her alone. She looked scared. Said to her, ‘are you okay,’ and she was lost her mother.”

“Can you take me to the store?”

“I am sorry… have been walking in search, did not pay attention.” He sounded embarrassed, so Slick ignored the exasperation he felt at those words.

The boy nodded to himself, noting with some interest the accent that the boy spoke with. He’d assumed at first that these faltering words and stiff sentences were just due to stress, but his new companion had clearly calmed considerably now that he had someone to help him - even if he did fidget uncomfortably in Slick’s jacket - and still spoke the same way. The Inkling wondered where he’d come from.

Putting that aside for the moment, Slick looked down again at the child, who was glancing between them wordlessly.

“What’s your name?” he asked her.

“...Christina.” she answered in a quiet voice.

“Christina. Nice name.” Slick gave her a smile. She ducked her head slightly, though her eyes stayed fixed on his. “Which store did you lose your mom in?”

“Ummm… clothes store.”

That didn’t narrow it down much. “Do you remember what the sign looked like?”

Christina was silent for a moment, looking like she was mulling it over in her head, before replying, “Big girl shark.”

Slick looked back up towards Oliver. “How far away did you find her?”

“Perhaps… five blocks.”

Ah. “Probably Glamor Shark.” the Inkling quipped, rubbing his arms as a shiver ran up his back at the cold rain that gently fell on his head. The tall boy pursed his lips at the sight. “I know where it is, this way.”

Luckily, his guess had been spot on. Christina recognized the Glamor Shark mascot instantly, and Slick guided her and the tall boy to the help desk which lay inside the storefront. He explained the situation, gave the shopkeeper Christina’s name, and asked if he could put a call out to the surrounding stores to see if they could find the mother. Not five minutes later, an Inkling woman burst into the front door out of the rain, dropping her dripping umbrella to the ground at the sight of Christina wrapped up in the tall boy’s arms.

Slick watched on with a smile, arms folded, as the mother profusely thanked the stranger for finding her daughter. He seemed totally overwhelmed, stammering ‘it’s nothing’s and ‘I am pleased to help’s in response to her seemingly never ending torrent of appreciation. When the teary-eyed woman finally departed, clutching Christina closely to her chest, the boy exhaled heavily, putting his hands to his forehead and looking very much like he had just gone through a great ordeal.

He looked so disarmingly helpless. Slick walked up, laying a hand on his shoulder and attracting the boy’s attention. “Nice work, dude.” he said casually. “That was one happy squid.”

The boy swallowed, nodding more to himself than anything and gazing after the mother as her figure disappeared into the crowd on the street. He turned to Slick, bowing at a pretty stiff forty-five degree angle, and said, “You have my thanks.”

“Hey, not a problem. Couldn’t just leave you like that, could I?”

“You are kind.” the boy murmured.

Slick nodded, taking a step back, only to close the distance again and put his hand back on the boy’s shoulder as he moved to remove Slick’s jacket. “What’re you doing?”

The boy in black looked at him. “I cannot keep this.” he answered, hesitation in his voice. “We are concluded, I return it to you.”

“Who says we’re ‘concluded?’ I didn’t say anything like that.”

In response to the boy’s questioning look, Slick tilted his head in the direction of Glamor Shark’s front door. A dull gray haze had fallen over the streets as the downpour outside grew more intense, no longer a social rain but one that would definitely have the streets cleared of casual passersby within a half-hour.

“That’s getting worse.” he remarked as the boy looked out towards the rain. “Your umbrella’s way busted and you’re still half-dressed, man. And, let’s not forget, wet.”

“...what do we do, then?” the boy asked slowly.

In reply, Slick looked towards the shopkeeper, a reef shark, and called, “Hey man! You got any extra umbrellas in the lost and found? Ours is trashed.”

“I can grab one for you.” the man growled in reply. “You boys did good with that little girl.”

As he moved away, Slick gave the tall boy a smile. “Lemme treat you to lunch.” he said. “Give you a chance to dry off, and we can talk a little.”

“...I do not want to be of bother.”

“It’ll bother me way more if I let you go free looking like that.” Slick insisted. Reluctantly, the boy nodded his assent, and Slick gave him a grin, offering his hand. “My name’s Slick. Real name, real proud.”

“I am Oliver Kerma.” the boy answered, taking Slick’s hand and giving it a firm squeeze. “It is an honor to meet you, Slick.”

“Likewise, man!”

Umbrella acquired, Slick led his new friend to a sit-down restaurant which was located nearby, leaving Oliver’s broken umbrella in the hands of the shopkeeper. After being shown to their seats and placing their food orders (Slick noted that Oliver didn’t even look at the menu, merely ordering the same thing as Slick once the waiter came by), Slick rolled his shoulders and leaned back in his seat, sipping at his water.

“So level with me, Oliver.” he began, attracting the nervous frown of the taller boy. “Not to sound rude, but I’m a little concerned at how dirty you are. Seems a bit much for an hour or so in the rain.”

Oliver’s frown deepened, and he averted his eyes, becoming very focused on his untouched glass of water. Slick raised an eyebrow - it almost felt like the guy was embarrassed.

“C’mon, man, give it to me straight.” Slick said, feeling his hearts tighten a bit at the skittish gleam in Oliver’s eyes. “You look pretty dang tired, too. Trouble sleeping?”

The boy shifted uncomfortably in his seat, though he didn’t look away from Slick.

“I have… not slept or bathed.” he admitted. The boy’s stomach gurgled, Slick’s ears pricking up at the sound, and with a slight flush he added, “Or eaten.”

“In how long?” Slick asked, eyes narrowed.

“...approximately forty-nine hours.”

“Hey Sam!” Slick immediately called, seeing their waiter’s head turn to face him from across the restaurant. “Can we make this guy’s order a double?”

Oliver’s flush deepened, and he anxiously motioned for Slick to quiet down, but the Inkling ignored him until he received a nod of affirmation from their waiter.

Nuh-uh, no way was he letting this guy slink off into the rain after hearing that. No way at all.

* * *

Oliver had been desperate to end their association after their meal, but Slick was just as firm in his refusal to let the boy leave. After a few minutes of back-and-forth wherein Slick made it clear that he wouldn’t accept Oliver going off alone into the worsening storm, the taller boy had finally relented somewhat, asking what Slick had in mind - he had no money, and no one to contact for assistance in the city. Slick had answered that his apartment wasn’t far.

He’d tried to call his roommate to make sure he was cool with playing host for the night, but there hadn’t been any answer. Latima was probably asleep, honestly - napping in the middle of the day was almost a routine for the laid-back squid. It would probably be fine, though, since Latima was a very easygoing person and Oliver seemed well-kept enough… even though he _was_ dirty, and - now that they were out of the rain and wind - smelled a little.

The closer they came though, shoulders bumping under the umbrella as they walked towards Slick’s building, the more nervous Slick realized he was. He glanced up towards Oliver’s face out of the corner of his eyes; the tall boy was wearing a discomfited expression, occasionally brushing his tentacle out of his face, and giving quick, flitting looks at their surroundings.

He didn’t normally get that nervous, priding himself on being pretty chill, but… something about Oliver was making his hearts thump quicker in his chest. Maybe it was how he was so clearly out of his element, lost and nervous himself, yet still took the time to help someone in need. Maybe something about his reserved attitude, or how he spoke, which Slick wasn’t used to in this noisy city full of turf heads. Maybe something about how, in the right light, Oliver was…

Man, Slick did not typically give this much thought to random squids on the street.

They reached the apartment building, traveling up the elevator and stopping at the door to Slick’s residence. He led the way inside, asking Oliver to wait on the threshold while he located his missing roommate; the tall boy complied, shifting his weight as he took in the entryway with his eyes.

As expected, Latima was dozing peacefully on the couch in front of the TV, complete with crumpled tank top and sweatpants - “the comfiest pant,” the boy had often told Slick. With two shakes on the shoulder, Latima was roused from his sleep, yawning wide and rubbing at his eyes with his palms before squinting up at Slick.

“Get up, man.” Slick said, giving him another shake and evading the sleepy fist that Latima waved at him in response. “I brought a guy over, he needs a place to crash. Hasn’t eaten or slept in a while apparently.”

Latima stifled a second yawn, stretching with a satisfied smile on his face before sitting up and rolling his head from side to side. “A guy, huh.” he murmured. “Never had you bring a guy over.”

“Well, I couldn’t leave this guy alone.”

“Why, is he hot?”

The question caught Slick off-guard, and he pulled back in surprise, jaw working as his mind spun indignantly.

“Wh - what do you _mean,_ is he hot?” the boy asked sharply. “I don’t just - “

He stopped as he recognized the smirk on his roommate’s face. He was being made fun of.

“Just wanted to help you unwind, dude.” Latima said easily, standing up off of the couch and bumping his shoulder against Slick’s. “You’ve got a _look_ on your face. Sure, your street boy can crash here - probably not dangerous or anything if you were willing to bring him home.”

Stung a little, Slick nevertheless smirked back and gave Latima a shove towards the entryway. “I’m always loose as shell, you dope. Don’t forget who’s the Chill Squad Captain.” he retorted. “Come on, come meet the guy instead of lounging like a shut-in.”

“You’re right, how could I be caught sleeping in my own home by a surprise visitor?”

The two of them made their way back towards the front door. Oliver awaited them, and Slick noted in dissatisfaction that the boy was still shivering slightly. Latima gave a light hum as he looked Oliver up and down, then introduced himself. Oliver returned the greeting, thanking him for his hospitality.

“Hey, I just live here.” Latima returned with a shrug.

“We’re all set.” Slick said to Oliver, attracting the taller boy’s attention. “Got you fed, so you should go wash off and warm up next. The shower’s down the hall, second door on the left.”

Oliver nodded, following Slick’s finger as he pointed towards the door in question. “I will be prompt.” he answered, bowing his head slightly before moving respectfully past the pair and disappearing into the doorway.

Latima watched him go, hand on his chin. “Never seen clothes like that. Not the freshest dude, is he?” the boy remarked casually.

“In a few ways, yeah.”

“Where’d you pick him up, exactly?”

“Was chilling down on ninth, he came up to me with a busted umbrella and a lost kid in his arms, asking for help. After we found the mom, he told me he hadn’t rested or anything in a few days.”

“That’s a little sketchy, isn’t it? I’m not the only one thinking that?”

Slick frowned. “It’s weird, but he doesn’t seem dangerous. He mostly just seemed cold, wet and in need.”

“Hey, I’m just making sure somebody recognizes how unusual that is.” Latima said, waving a hand dismissively. “But I shouldn’t worry. You’ve got a good eye for people, Slick, if you were willing to offer him a place for the night then he’s probably fine.”

“Excuse me, but…” The two of them were cut off by Oliver reappearing from the bathroom. The tall boy was stripped to the waist, holding his shirt in his hands, and Slick felt his hearts jump into his throat as his eyes ran up Oliver’s figure.

The black outfit had mostly just made Oliver seem thin and worn, but wow, he was _toned as shell_ under it…

“The shower, I do not know it.” Oliver said, a look of discomfort on his face.

“Yeah, gotcha. I’ll be there in a sec to show you how it works.” Slick replied, his voice wavering slightly. The tall boy nodded once, stepping back out of view.

He heard Latima clearing his throat, and glanced over to see the other squid giving him a very unimpressed look.

“Nice.” was all he said.

“...I need to find something for him to wear.” Slick said tersely, making his way down the hall towards his room. “Guy doesn’t have another outfit, after all.”

“You’re a few sizer smaller than him, my squid. Hoping to get him in even tighter pants?”

Slick didn’t answer, and did his best not to think about that as he fled from Latima’s laughter.

After introducing Oliver to the way their shower worked, Slick left him to it, joining Latima for a rousing game of Mega Brawl. As usual, the other squid was much better at video games than he was, though every point that Slick scored felt cathartic after the smirks and waggling eyebrows that Latima had been giving him for the last five minutes. Eventually, his roommate laid off - probably because Slick had recovered from being caught off guard by Oliver and was now casually brushing off his taunts.

After fifteen minutes, around the time that Slick started wondering how long the other boy would take to shower, the pair heard the sound of the bathroom door opening. Slick rose from the couch, Latima dutifully pausing their game, and walked towards the hallway so that he could talk to their guest. Now dressed in the biggest clothes Slick owned and bearing a towel around his neck, Oliver’s eyes met Slick’s as he left the bathroom.

The tall boy took a few steps forward, then stumbled, his movements unsteady and cumbersome. Slick darted forward quickly to catch Oliver before he fell to the ground, distantly aware of how warm the boy was as he held him up.

“You alright, man?” Slick asked, worry in his voice as he looked into Oliver’s face; Oliver’s eyes were now closed, scrunched tightly shut as he gave a languid shake of his head.

“Forgive of me.” he said quietly, leaning onto Slick for support. He tried to get his feet more firmly beneath him, holding out his other hand to steady himself against the wall. “Now that I am safe, the exhaustion. It is in me.”

“Sounds like bedtime, then.” Latima called over to them; Slick glanced back to see the other squid poking his head into the hallway from their living area. “Show him the room, eh, Slick?”

“...right.” Slick nodded, making sure that Oliver could stand on his own. He stepped cautiously away, hands half-poised to grab the taller boy if he fell again, and when Oliver remained on his feet, Slick led him to their spare bedroom.

“This is technically an apartment for three,” the blue-haired squid explained as he opened the door and flicked on the lights, revealing a room filled with boxes and miscellaneous objects, “but we haven’t found any roommates and can afford the rent on our own, so we’ve mostly been using this room for storage. Not a lot of floor space, but it has a bed, and the sheets are clean - you can crash here tonight.”

He walked with Oliver as the other boy took careful steps into the room, reaching the bed and easing himself down onto it. Then he gave a deep and heavy sigh, fatigue almost palpable.

“...I thank you, Slick.” Oliver said, looking up into Slick’s face as the Inkling stood by. “You are doing me a great service. I have great appreciation for it, and you.”

“Yeah, no problem, man.” Slick replied with his hands in his pockets, trying to ignore how his hearts skipped as his eyes met with Oliver’s. “Just take it easy, alright? I’m gonna go to bed soon but Latima’s usually up all night, so just ask him if you need anything.”

“I understand.”

“Cool.”

The squid hesitated for a moment, trying to figure out how to close this off, before settling for a simple, “Good night, then.”

“Pleasant dreams, Slick.”

Slick exited the room, shut the door, and made his way quickly back to the living area. Latima had unpaused and was doing combos on Slick’s motionless character as the chill squad captain sank back onto the couch and exhaled through his nose.

“Seems like a nice dude.” Latima remarked casually.

“You’re such an asshole, man.”

“I’m a perfectly supportive asshole. Still gonna tell me that you’re not hot for this dude?”

Slick ran a hand through his tendrils, humming unhappily. “Alright, yeah, he’s hot.” he admitted, shifting his weight backwards. “Hot, and nice, and pretty collected, and pretty interesting.”

“But…?”

“ _But,_ I’m also objectively doing him a lot of favors.” the boy continued, gesturing off-handedly. “And he was uncomfortable with it, but I insisted because it didn’t feel right to leave him there. That puts me in a really awkward position with regards to our relationship; I’d feel like a massive jerk if I asked him out after pulling him off of the street and giving him a place to stay, like he owes me or something.”

Latima nodded thoughtfully, but didn’t say anything. Slick watched him for another few minutes before standing up and stretching.

“I’ll see him out tomorrow.” Slick said. “Maybe I’ll ask for a phone number or address when he leaves, see if we can keep in touch and follow up when it’d be less awkward.”

He knew that there’d be no point. Oliver clearly had nowhere to stay, maybe didn’t even know anyone else in Inkopolis, and the sum total of everything he owned seemed to be an unseasonable outfit and a broken umbrella. In all likelihood, once Oliver walked out of his front door, he’d probably never see the guy again in such a big city. It sucked, but he couldn’t just keep the boy around if he had other places to be, and there would be other people.

Latima had very obviously come to the same conclusion about Slick’s chances of staying in touch, but all he said was, “Sounds like a plan, dude. Go ahead and get some sleep, then, I’ll be doing what I do.”

“Thanks, Latima. Sorry for dropping this on you so suddenly.”

“That’s just how friendship works sometimes, huh?”

Slick smiled, seeing Latima’s own mouth curling upwards in amusement, and moved off towards his bedroom. His eyes landed for a moment on the door which Oliver was sleeping behind before he left the hallway.

Such a weird guy.

* * *

Unusually, Slick awoke to the smell of food. Glancing sleepily at the clock and noting that it was ten in the morning - a little early for him, but not by too much - he came to the conclusion that this was definitely not Latima’s doing. For one thing, Latima rarely cooked, and for another, Latima was usually asleep around this time.

The boy quickly left his bed, dressed and stepped out into the hallway, casting a questioning glance towards the kitchen. Faintly, his ears picked up the sounds of low conversation.

Feet padding softly across the carpet, the blue-headed Inkling turned the corner into their dining area, finding Oliver and Latima there - the taller boy was standing beside the stove, frying something in a pan, while Latima was rubbing at his eyes and stifling a yawn as he sat in front of a plate bearing the signs of food that was eaten.

Catching sight of Slick, Latima grinned and loudly called, “Hey, Slick’s up!” Oliver turned at the words, and the two of them locked eyes. The other boy was back in that black outfit.

“I am hoping I did not wake you.” Oliver rumbled. “I was asking of Latima for the usage of your kitchen. Food is available, if you hunger.”

“Dude was up crazy early.” Latima drawled, propping his arms up on the table. “Woke up, washed his clothes, put them on, washed _your_ clothes - “

“They are folded upon bed.” Oliver interjected.

“ - and then asked if he could make breakfast. What an absolute unit, am I right, Slick? I was so stunned I forgot to go to bed. He’s a pretty handy guy to have around.”

Slick looked between Oliver and Latima, mouth hanging open. Oliver shifted uneasily, while Latima was giving Slick an enormous and cocky smile, eyes gleaming.

He knew that look. It was the one that Latima wore whenever he was daring Slick to do something.

_‘Do it, you coward.’_

Well, if Latima was gonna go that far…

“...Oliver.” Slick began, scratching at his tentacles. “You don’t have anywhere else to stay, right?”

“That is correct.” the boy confirmed with a tight nod, shifting the pan to an inactive burner. “It is why I wished to do this - to be thankful for your help - “

“How about you stick around for a while, then?”

Oliver faltered, apprehension in his eyes. Slick glanced towards Latima and saw his roommate nodding with a pleased look on his face. “Like I said, we’re not really using that bedroom. If you want to help us out with stuff like chores and shopping, I don’t mind you staying until you find somewhere else to live - and I think Latima would be cool with that, too.”

“Super chill. Like ice.” Latima said.

“...I want no imposing.” the boy in black remarked hesitantly.

“If you help us out with stuff, you’re not imposing.” Slick answered. “I don’t like the idea of you wandering the streets again, so… if you’re willing to do some work, we’ll let you crash here until you get another place. And if you end up not liking it here, then you can leave.”

Oliver glanced between the two of them, and Slick could see the gears turning in his head. He tried not to let his anxiety show on his face, but he still held his breath as he waited for Oliver’s answer.

Finally, after a silence that felt like an eternity, Oliver raised a hand to brush his tentacle out of his face.

“...if you are certain, I will accept.” he said slowly, though he still looked unconvinced. “I swear to commit properly to assignments, and not be in your way.”

“I dunno about going _that_ far.” Latima grinned with a pointed glance at Slick. He was ignored.

Slick walked quickly towards Oliver, feeling his heart rate speeding up in turn as he held out a hand. “Looks like we’ll be living together then.” he said casually, smiling when Oliver took his hand.

“I am hopeful that we will be good to each other.” Oliver replied with a slight bow of his head.

“Yeah. Me too.”


End file.
